Automobile headlight bulb cap



Feb. 21, E Q ASTON AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT BULB CAP Filed Aug. 18, 1931 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 1,898,517

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK C. ASTON, .OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT BULB CA]? Application filed August 18, 1931. Serial No. 557,919.

The invention relates to an automobile invention or sacrificing any of the advantages headlight bulb cap. thereof.

Heretofore the various types of bulb caps In the drawing:- which have been constructed have not been Figure l is a side elevation of an automo- 5 entirely satisfactory due to the fact that they bile headlight bulb cap constructed in acdo not diffuse the light properly, but simply cordance with this invention and shown apact as a shield by covering the light bulb at plied to a light bulb, the reflector of the headone end, with apparently the only object in light being shown in section. view being to prevent the intense or direct Fig.2 1s a front elevation of the same, the

19 light of the bulb filament from glaring into reflector being broken away.

the eyes of an approaching motorist. F 1g. 3 1s a plan view of the automob le The principal object of the present invenheadlight bulb caps shown applied to a llght tion is to provide for automobile headlight bulb. bulbs a simple, practical and efficient cap of Fig. 4 13 a reverse plan view of the same.

15 strong, durable and comparatively inexpeng- 5 IS a p pe VleW 0f the g bulb sivc construction designed and arranged to d bulb p loeklng from h QM- reflect and deflect the light of the bulb in III the p y g i g 111 m 13 such a manner as to give a more eflicient light Bd h pr rr d 1ment f the than the ordinary shielded bulb, and at the n ion, l deslgnates a substantially config 53 same time, effectively eliminate the glare to cevoronveX m le ig u p an approaching automobile. signed to be constructed of stainless steel,

A f th bj t f th i ti i t kromoloid metal or other suitable mater al, eliminate the light ordinarily reflected ups ug y fittlng the 0111381: o t 6116- Of Ward above the line of vision by automobile g b 2 and egitendllng wn r ly hr 55 headlights, which upwardly reflected light from? of the light bulb from p has a tendency to obscure the road vision POPtIOIl thereof torthe t m of h salhe h of the driver, particularly in a rain, mist or rearwardly along h bottom a p ht 1h fog, and thereby enable the driver of an reervofthe P p h 0f the 11ght bulb, as automobile, by the elimination of such upy Illustrated 111 fi g- The 33 wardly directed rays, to proceed with a cavejcenvexfbulb p or flshleld for p greater degree of safety when such atmos- Y h g the Intense -F llght m h pheric conditions exist. g b11111) from g h g 111130 h ey p an Another object of the invention is to afford appmachmg l t and top P of a broader vision of the road than is afforded the bulb l extends rearwardly Sufiiclent by the ordinary processed light bulbs or other n t? P e any of h dlrect rays shield-ed light bulbs by utilizing horizontally F g bulb from Passlng out 5 and downwardly directed rays of light f g at at? thereof so thzlt ti g ordinarily shielded or excluded by prior de- E m the g 1t bulb are entlre y cut 0 Vices of this Characten rom the top tothe-bottom of the bulb. 00

49 As Illustrated in Fig. 2 of the draw ng,

h these a other Objects in i the theautomobile headli ht bulbcap is approxiinvention consists in the construction and b m1 d t f t mately egg-shaped in front elevation "being Com 1nd an f 0 par wider at the top and tapering towards the hereinafter described, illustrated in the acbottom the bottomportion 3 whichlextends companying drawing, and set forth 1n the b fl; th light b lb b i p i t l 1 claims hereto appended, it being understood t i l as l l ill t t d i Fi 4 f that various changes in the form, proporth drawing. The upper-edge 4 which extion and minor details of construction, withtends transversely of the "headlight bulb at in the scope of the claims, may be resorted thetopsthereof iscut away-as shownin Fig.3 to without departing from the spirit of the to form asubstantially arc-shaped recess to permit a maximum number of light rays to pass directly from the filament of the light bulb to the top of the headlight reflector and be reflected downwardly and outwardly.

Also the side edges 5 of the automobile headlight bulb cap are cut away below and spaced from the top portion of the cap to provide substantially arc-shaped recesses which permit a maximum number of rays of light to impinge against the sides of the reflector 6 of the headlight, thereby providing a broader vision of the road than would be afforded by an ordinary symmetrical headlight cap.

The automobile headlight cap extends rearwardly beneath the filament of the light bulb suificiently to prevent rays of light therefrom reaching the lower portion of the reflector and being reflected upwardly by the automobile headlight reflector. By this particular construction of headlight bulb cap an inclined off center shield is provided which not only prevents the direct rays from the filament of the light bulb from glaring into the eyes of an approaching motorist, but upwardly directed light rays which might obscure the vision of a driver during rainy, misty or foggy weather, are completely eliminated while at the same time, a maximum elimination of the reflector and a more eflicient light are aflorded by the top and side raised portions of the shield. In addition to a more efficient light than the ordinary shielded light, the present invention has the advantage of allording a broader vision of the road and the shield may be more accurately and scientifically constructed than is possible with so-called processed light bulbs which are coated, as it is more or less diflicult to accurately confine the coating to the area designed to be shielded by the coating of a processed light bulb.

The tapered approximately triangular portion 3 at the bottom of the bulb cap is connected to a supporting arm 7 consisting of a narrow strip of metal provided at its inner or rear end with a resilient clip 8 composed of spring arms embracing the shank portion 9 of the light bulb and adapted to be readily sprung into and out of engage-- ment with the same to place the bulb cap on the bulb and to remove it therefrom. The detachable connection of the metallic bulb cap to a bulb enables it to be used indefinitely and by constructing the automobile headlight bulb cap of metal, such as stainless steel or kromoloid metal, a much whiter light is afforded and a shield of indefinite duration and universal in its application to any present automobile headlight is provided.

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile headlight bulb cap consisting of a concavo-convex metallic reflecting shield constructed for co-operative arrangement with respect to and in front of a light bulb and means for holding said reflecting shield in operative position, which reflecting shield is in the shape of a segment of a spherical shell and has a wide top portion adapted to extend rearwardly over the bulb when in place but which terminates ahead of the transverse vertical plane through the lamp filament or central portion of the light bulb, the bottom portion of the reflecting shield being triangular and extending beneath the lamp filament or central portion of the light bulb and terminating at a point substantially beneath said central portion of said light bulb, the side edges of the reflecting shield being defined. by substantially vertically extending planes which intersect each other approximately along a vertically extending line that passes through the lamp filament or center of the lamp.

. 2. An automobile headlight bulb cap consisting of a concavo-convex metallic reflecting shield constructed for cooperative arrangement with respect to and in front of a light bulb and means for holding said fleeting shield in operative position, which reflecting shield is in the shape of a segment of a spherical shell and has a wide top portion adapted to extend rcarwardly over the bulb when in place but which terminates ahead of the transverse vertical plane through the lamp filament or central portion of the light bulb, the bottom portion of: the reflecting shield being triangular and ei-ttending beneath the lamp filament or central portion of the light bulb, the side edges of the refleeting shield being defined by substantially vertically extending planes which intersect each other approximately along a vertically extending line that passes through the lamp filament or center of the lamp.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto my hand at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this 10 day of August 1931.

FREDERICK O. ASTON. 

